To the Capital of the Empire

But why did the man in front of me ask about Machiavelli's existence?

That's also the fake identity I used until recently.

Could it be that you did it on purpose?

'What kind of ulterior motive?'

For a moment, I suspected that he was a pursuer sent by the princess faction of the Kingdom of Utah, but it didn't seem like that.

Apart from asking, Rudger took no action.

Rather, his eyes and actions showed pure curiosity.

So, is it just a coincidence?

'A teacher of Seorn...…'

Seorn Academy is so famous that word-of-mouth spreads even when people are in a distant country.

The fact that such a young man is going to become a new teacher at Seorn means that the person in front of me is exceptionally talented.

I didn't know it when I first saw him, but I'm starting to feel it little by little.

That this person is not ordinary.

But instead of raising my guard, I inwardly shook my head.

'For now, let's consider it a coincidence.'

I shouldn't let my guard down and reveal too much for no reason.

Naturally, I turned to the next page of the newspaper and acknowledged his words.

"If such a person actually existed, it would have been covered in the newspaper."

"Haha. Well, aren't there things that are not easily revealed in the world?"

"That is interesting. Is it something you mention to the first person you meet Today?"

"Well, is there anything wrong with that? And Mr. Gerard, even though I'm meeting you for the first time today, I feel like we have the same standing."

"I'm grateful that the renowned teacher at Seorn has a good opinion of this old man."

Rudger seemed to have no intention of extinguishing the interest he had in me, perhaps because the image he currently maintained was favorable to others.

It's not good to remain silent and say nothing.

Now that this has happened, I decided to respond with moderation.

Still, having a companion is not ideal, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

"Mr. Rudger, when you go to Seorn, will you start teaching right away?"

"Not right away, I'll have to wait."

"First grade?"

"No, I am in charge of the second grade."

"Oh, the 2nd grade. Aren't new teachers usually assigned to first-year students? You're even better than I thought."

I overheard the news while glancing over my shoulder. Although Seorn was a magic academy, it had a resemblance to a university on Earth.

Various buildings were constructed on a vast campus, and thousands of staff members lived and worked there.

While it was adjacent to a large city, Seorn itself was like a small city, often referred to as the "A city inside the city."

Seorn's students ranged from 1st grade to 5th grade. Typically, the higher the grade, the more advanced the students are, so it is customary for experienced teachers to handle the senior grades while new teachers take on the first-year students.

However, in his case, he was assigned to the second grade as a new teacher.

I initially thought that this indicated his capabilities, but it turned out to be more than that.

"I didn't become a teacher at Seorn for no reason."

Seorn, a magical academy that teaches the art of magic. In this world, which has undergone an industrial revolution with iron and steam, the presence or absence of magic sets it apart from Earth.

'I've only encountered magic in fantasy novels.'

Magic was an integral part of this world, and the ability to wield magic was reserved for the chosen few.

In the past, only aristocrats of noble blood could use magic, but nowadays, there is a growing trend for common people to learn magic if they possess the talent for it.

Seorn is the most prestigious magic academy, providing access for those with such talent.

"I'm curious about it. What kind of place is it?"

When one thinks of a typical magic academy, it's hard not to recall a famous work that I used to be familiar with on Earth.

Students flying on broomsticks and casting spells with magic wands...

Perhaps children who saw such depictions in movies or books during their childhood had dreams of attending a magical school like that.

A school of magic.

Where can one find such dreams come true?

In this world, such a place truly exists.

Students learning magic and experiencing the joys of their youth.

"Youth... that's what it is."

In my previous life, my father passed away at an early age, so I didn't have the chance to enjoy such things. I studied relentlessly out of a sense of duty to support my family, and I was consumed by the pursuit of success.

Now, in my second life, things were not much different from before. If anything, they were worse. There was a reason why I currently concealed my identity.

'It's almost like being a thief, desiring something like that now.'

I had already lived through 27 years in this world, and I was no longer on a path of youthful enthusiasm. Talking about a magic academy felt like a tale from another world. The same could be said for the man named Rudger standing before me, who was closely tied to it.

As for me, living with a false identity and keeping my true self hidden, I was vastly different from that man standing on the illustrious stage called Seorn, even if our circumstances were different.

Nevertheless, since he became a teacher at Seorn at a young age, I should genuinely congratulate him.

'After all, they call people like him fallen nobles.'

The world still operated on a class-based society, and nobles occupied the pinnacle of this hierarchy. However, there were those who had fallen to the deepest depths after once occupying such a position. They rebelled against the state, held resentment towards those above them, or found themselves burdened by insurmountable debts. Various reasons led to the downfall of these nobles.

Fallen nobility.

Considering that fallen nobles were despised even more by their fellow nobles than by commoners, the man named Ludger before me must have worked exceptionally hard to become a teacher at Seorn.

While lost in these thoughts, I sensed something peculiar outside.

"What's happening?"

Rudger appeared perplexed by my reaction.

I didn't answer him; instead, I sharpened my senses.

... Something was approaching.

"Something is coming..."

Just as Rudger was about to speak, it happened.

A powerful shock accompanied by a huge explosion roughly shook the magic engineering train.

The cabin of the train trembled, and the train, running on the railroad, stumbled sideways.

I held onto the handle of the chair to maintain my balance.

"What is this...? Did the engine explode?" Rudger asked, muttering, but I shook my head as if I didn't understand.

It doesn't seem like the engine has blown up.

There's no way the entire train would be shaken by a single engine failure.

Furthermore, the engine of a magical engineering locomotive, considered one of the safest, and wouldn't explode on its own.

Why did this explosion have to happen?

As if my uneasy imagination was correct, a thumping sound came from the ceiling of the train, and something started scurrying around busily.

Simultaneously, a loud sound came from the lead vehicle.

The sound of something breaking and people screaming. I precisely realized what had happened.

"It's an assault."

"A raid? On this train?"

"Most of the customers on the Magic Engineering Train are wealthy merchants or nobles. It must have been the robbers in the northern mountains who were targeting it."

Most of the customers on this expensive magic engineering locomotive are wealthy individuals. Naturally, there were many people aiming for their money and valuables, and occasional robbery raids targeted trains.

"Even so, I can't imagine something like this happening on the empire's border."

The individuals who attacked me now are quite ordinary.

"The explosion that shook the train a little earlier... I don't think it's normal explosion ."

I narrowed my eyes because there was a part I could guess.

"Is it magic?"

There is a mage among the raiders.

If a wizard was involved, it would be worth attempting such a bold feat.

By utilizing the magician's power and making a quick escape, they would be able to hide safely in the rugged northern Aret Mountains. Pursuit would be difficult even from that perspective.

If that was their aim, these are definitely not ordinary robbers.

There's no way these guys, who possess wizards with this level of firepower and raid trains with nobles, could be considered normal in the first place.

In a world where magic exists, there are people who use it for nefarious purposes.

"Mr. Rudger, I think I'll have to hide on my own," I said, and Rudger nodded in agreement.

Rudger began packing his things. Even in this situation, he must be trying to pack something important.

I stood up, realizing that I couldn't afford to worry about others. Rudger took the lead.

"In case you don't know, I'll take the front," he said.

"Yes."

First of all, my status is that of a wealthy commoner in his 40s.

This man, who became a teacher at the academy in his mid-twenties, would fight better.

Rudger took out a small wooden staff in his right hand and raised his guard.

The two of us opened the door to the guest room and observed the situation in the hallway of car No 4.

Still, no one was in sight. The guests also seemed to be waiting quietly in the now-secured room.

'Wrong choice.'

While this room itself is said to be protected by magic, the robbers who just attacked are not ordinary individuals. In this situation, staying in the guest room is no different from exposing ourselves.

In this case, it's best to distance ourselves from them as much as possible.

"Even so, the ones who entered car No.3 haven't come here yet."

I thought they would immediately scatter and extort money from the guests, but is that not the case?

Or perhaps they are targeting the first car in front of us.

Car #1 is the first-class section for nobles.

It is a specially guarded room, but in other words, it's the golden egg with the most money.

'It's rather fortunate.'

If attention is focused on the first car, we can retreat.

Of course, these magical engineering trains are equipped to send out a distress signal in the event of an unexpected attack.

Reinforcements will likely arrive soon.

We just have to hold on until then.

Suddenly, with a crash!

A man broke through the window of the hallway.

As he brushed off the snow from his shoulder, he turned his head and glared at us, perhaps sensing our presence.

His eyes were filled with rage and hatred, and there was a lot of blood in them.

"It's a bloodthirsty look. Did he consume some kind of potion?"

His appearance, dripping with malice and anger, seemed to be completely different from that of a robber.

Was he waiting for the train in this cold as some kind of evildoer(1)?

"Wow!"

But before I could voice my doubts, he spotted us and shouted.

At the same time, Ludgar's magic manifested.

A spell where mana entwined like a thread in front of his staff and was engraved.

The spell hung in the air, almost like a three-dimensional drawing, then quickly transformed into a single magic.

A blue lightning bolt appeared, followed by a single flash that pierced the intruder's chest.

"Ah!"

The thief, who was rushing towards us, collapsed to the floor and trembled.

I asked, looking at Rudger, "Did you kill him?"

"No, I just subdued him," he replied.

After saying that, Rudger cautiously approached the fallen robber, keeping his staff pointed at him.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Rudger. It's dangerous."

"It's okay. I just want to lightly interrogate him about the purpose of this train raid," Rudger insisted.

"No, wait..." I tried to say more, but Rudger didn't listen and proceeded.

He used his foot to push the fallen thief on the floor and flipped him over.

"Tell me. Why did you raid this train?" Rudger asked.

The thief laughed, despite the situation. "Hehe, everything... everything must die."

There was a chilling madness in his stuttering voice that made my skin crawl.

As he convulsed and blood trickled from his nose, the tightly wrapped cloth around him came undone, revealing what was hidden inside.

It was a massive bomb.

"...!"

Before Rudger could react, the thief opened his eyes and triggered the detonator he had prepared.

Boom!

A massive explosion engulfed Car No.4.

**************************

evildoer: a person who commits profoundly immoral and wicked deeds.